Flying target



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H. VARWIG 85 A E. SPANGLER.

FLYING TARGET; N0. 295,812. Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

jgzrenzfanf B W W Unrrcn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

HENRY VARWIG AND ALBERT E. SPANGLER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

FLYING TARGET.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 295,312, dated March 18, 1884.

(X0 model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, HENRY Vnnwrc and ALBERT E. Srawernn, citizens of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Targets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of targets which are projected from a trap or springa-ctuated arm and given a spinning motion by a force applied to the periphery! Heretofore targets of this class have usually been made of clay, and the objections to their use have been that when the clay is not baked hard the targets are often broken in handling and by the force which is necessary to impel them from the trap and if baked hard enough to avoid these diliiculties, then the shot will glance off when striking the target tangentially, giving no evidence of a hit being made, and causing dissatisfaction and frequent disputes. What marksmen especially desire in a target is that when a hit is made there will be unmistakable evidence of it givenimmediately. This result has been accomplished imperfectly by the explosive ball and target; but these, being also made of fragile material, are liable to the objections above named. Besides, they are dangerous to handle and require great care in packing them for shipment, as the least fracture will explode them.

The object of our invention is to overcome all these objections, which result we accomplish by making the body of our target of a hard, preferably non-fragile, material, coating the periphery of the body with an explosive compound, and covering the coated part with an easily-punctured material, which protects the fulminate and avoids all danger from explosion.

In the accompanying drawingsin which like parts are indicated by similar referenceletters wherever they occur, Figure 1 is a perspective erably, of sheet metal. It has outwardly-turned flanges a a, between which the periphery of the ring is coated with fulminate B.

Around the periphery of the ring A is placed a ring, G, of stiff paper or similar easily-punctured material, which is V-shaped in cross section, as shown, so as to offer but slight resistance to the air as the target is spun forward from the trap, and to also leave an airspace between the fulminate and the ring 0, for the expansion of the gases and complete destruction of the ring 0 when the fulminate is explodedby a shot, and also for the protection of the fulminate against any concussion that will not puncture the outer ring.

.The ring A is divided by a partition, D, of

card-board or other suitable material, which is held in place by two lugs, E e,'which lugs pass through slots in the rim A. One of these lugs, E, also passes through a slot in the ring 0, being made long enough for this purpose and to extend beyond the periphery a sufficient distance to be grasped by the jaws of the ordinary trap. The disk D should snugly fitwithin the ring A, so as to retain its position in a plane parallel to the edges of the ring, to insure a steady flight of the target. After the rings A are formed and punched for the reception of the lugs E 6, they are placed upon a. horizontal revolving mandrel and the fulmihate-paste applied to the periphery, care being taken to avoid coating any part of the flanges a, or coming too near to the lug-slots, which slots may have eXteriorly-projeating flanges around them, turned from the surplus metal in punching, so that the friction of the lugs in throwing the target will not explode the compound. After the fulmina-te is dry, the partition D is placed in position by bending the lugs up and slipping them through the slots in rim A. The ring 0 is then either sprung to its place, or, if it is an open ring, it may be bent around and the ends united by a strip cemented over the joint; or the ends may be lapped and cemented together.

While it is far better to coat the rim of the ring A with an explosive compound, some of the results of our invention would be attained by coating the inside of the ring 0 or by placing powdered charcoal in the space between the rings A G. In the first instance, while the target would be dangerous if carelessly handled, yet when hit the efi'ect would be the same, and the body of the target could, like the preferred form, be used again; and in the second instance, if a hit were made, it would be evidenced by a puff of the inclosed powder, like the puff-ball now used.

We do not limit ourselves to the exact shape shown, nor to the material described, as it is evident these may be varied without varying the principle of the invention. For instance, the jaws of the trap might be arranged to grasp the flanged edges of ring A, thus dispensing with the tongue or lug E; or, in place of tongue or lug E, the cone-point of the ring 0 may be extended, forming a flat flange, to be grasped by the jaws of the trap, and if this flange extended entirely around the periphery of the ring 0 it would in a measure perform the function of the disk Dthat is, to prevent the target from turning over and insure the presentation of its edge to the marksman.

WVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

and ring 0, secured around the periphery of 30 said ring A, with an explosive material interposed between said rings.

3. The ring A. ring 0, secured around theperiphery thereof, fulrninate B, interposed between said rings, partition D, secured within and parallel to the edges of ring A, and lug E, the whole combined and arranged substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

HENRY VARWVIG. ALBERT E. SPANGLER.

\Vitnesses:

JOEL HERNDON, GEO. J. MURRAY. 

